⇨ THE MATRIX

[ringleaders]

Who: EVERYONE!
When: S1:D22 - S1:D??
Where: Visiting the Matrix.
What: The carnival arrives at its next location, as outlined here. This is a general mingling log for convenience purposes, but players are welcome to make as many other logs for this purpose as desired.
Warnings: Could be a lot of things.

THE MATRIX↴ "What IS the Matrix? The Matrix is a system, Neo. That system is our enemy. But when you're inside, you look around, what do you see? Businessmen, teachers, lawyers, carpenters. The very minds of the people we are trying to save. But until we do, these people are still a part of that system and that makes them our enemy. You have to understand, most of these people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are so inured, so hopelessly dependent on the system, that they will fight to protect it." ► INSIDE: On the inside, it all seems so normal. Beyond what you know of the reality you've stepped in, every bit of this place feels just as real as it did back in the carnival. If you were to forget where you'd just come from, would you know any different? The simulation of Chicago is identical to how it would have been in the early days of the new millenia, to anyone who comes from a similar Earth. Humans bustle around you, oblivious to the world outside of the Matrix that they were born into. One bright side to it all is that this hyper realism means the coffee tastes just as good as it does in real life. Anything you could do in real Chicago you can do here - and perhaps even more. ► WHITE ROOM: But before that, you were here. The White Room is a loading program, intended to port objects and people into the Matrix. You arrive as a reconstruction of your true physical form, but common sense suggests that for some of you, entering the mundane world looking like yourself isn't the best idea. It's in this empty world that you will be able to load in whatever physical objects you are, and change the way you present your own body to the system. Changes can be little, or big, but whatever you do, the body has to be able to function according to Earth's physical laws. Don't forget, if you die here, you die in the carnival too. ► DEJA VU: It doesn't matter what you're doing, but at some point you'll notice it - something around you has repeated itself, like a line on a skipping record. Maybe it's the same person bumping into you twice in a row, or the same cab driver yelling at you to get out of the way. It's like reality has rewound and repeated itself, and after the fact you have no proof of it happening beyond the memory of what you saw. You don't know what it means, but something about it is chilling. It may be a good time to find a buddy. ► THE ONE: It won't necessarily come naturally, but in a moment of need you may find yourself bending the world of the Matrix through sheer belief and force of need. How you bend it will always stay without the rules of the universe, at least for now, but when it comes to enhancing your own physical characteristics, just about anything is possible. It will not be easily reproducible, not now, but it could be your first view into the window of what's possible.

Comments

[kingsroads]

[ Pfft. Stability. Strange gives Childermass a Look as he rolls his eyes. It obviously isn't a basis for stability, but when has he ever looked for the stable? Willingly driving yourself mad is a sign that someone doesn't care about things like stability to begin with. ]

On the contrary, it sounds entirely stable. Stability in instability. After all, when you expect the unexpected, you know what to expect.

[atouts]

[ Right, he's arguing this with a madman. It's not as if he'd forgotten, but it's too roundabout to try and pick topics that won't get downright bizarre. Like this one. ]

We may have to agree to disagree on this point. [ Fine, he can call that stability if he wants. Childermass won't dwell on it. ] Is the fountain trick really all you've managed?

[ Topic change, as he gestures back towards the fountain Strange had been messing around with before. ]

[kingsroads]

Of course not, [ Strange remarks, with a scoff. Ha ha, he's totally got a handle on things and isn't just flying by the seat of his pants and having so much trouble in the Matrix. Why would you say that, he didn't get distracted by a children's book all day, he's totally wrapped his mind around this. ]

I can also pull a quarter from someone's ear.

[ They are not useful tricks. ]

[atouts]

[ A quarter from-- God, it takes all the control he can muster not to laugh outright at the poor man. ]

Ah. [ Now what Childermass would really like to know is how he found the coin trick out, assuming he hadn't known it before. That doesn't even need magic, Strange! ] From someone's ear? How interesting.

[kingsroads]

[ He knows it's nothing important. After all, in the grand scheme of things, what's pulling a quarter from someone's ear in comparison to raising Neapolitan soldiers or making a tincture of madness? Still, it's something he can do. Sighing, Strange relents. And then, in a slight of hand that's practiced well but exceedingly obvious to someone like Childermass, Strange pulls a quarter from his ear. ]

Like so.

[atouts]

[ And there he goes, he actually did it. If only Norrell were here, the pointless argument over sleight of hand versus actual magic would have been hilarious. Still, he continues to not laugh at Strange. ]

Not bad. [ For a beginner. ] Though you don't sound very enthusiastic about it.

[kingsroads]

Well it's just a quarter. After having explored and mastered various types of magic back home, having to start with something so small feels...

[ Not worth it. Aggravating. Like Strange must be doing something wrong, why isn't this coming to him as easily as it did to others? He frowns for a moment before settling on ] ...feels so disappointing.

[atouts]

You could always move on to making cards appear and disappear, if you've already got the coin down.

[ Okay, now he is being a tiny bit mocking. Just a little. ]

[kingsroads]

[ Yeeeeeeah, he spots that mocking. Strange just gives Childermass a GLARE as he resumes sulking. ]

I'll have the hang of this place eventually.

[atouts]

[ A glare met with total neutrality, as usual. ]

Perhaps, but once the carnival wraps up, you won't even be able to get back here. I'm not sure you should dwell on it for so long.

[kingsroads]

How can I not dwell on it? The rules of this place, the way one can reshape the world within the Matrix...it absolutely makes no sense!

[ His voice rises as he talks, annoyance all too apparent in Strange's tone. When confronted with the unfamiliar, Strange's response is to try and understand it (or poke it with a metaphorical stick). The fact that this is seemingly beyond understanding (because what are computers, we just don't know) is really pissing him off. ]

Even if we can't come back later, that's all the more reason to try and understand it now!

[atouts]

[ And now he's being loud. Oh good. He'll have to make a mental note not to suggest that again, regardless of world, if that's how Strange is going to get. ]

You may not mind drawing attention, [ Which is exactly what he's doing now. ] But if you insist on going on about it so everyone can hear, you'll soon find yourself going on about it on your own.

[ Childermass is gonna ditch you, dude. Calm down. ]

[kingsroads]

[ Strange gives Childermass a frown...before he realizes oh, okay, stop being so obnoxious, he can definitely do that. He's not too pleased as he settles down to be quiet, but he does so, lowering his voice as he talks. ]

Surely you understand my point, though.

[atouts]

[ Oh, good, he can be reined in. As for his point, Childermass will take his damn time considering it before admitting, ]

I do. Can't have it remain a mystery forever, now can we?

[ Well, Childermass wouldn't particularly mind the Matrix remaining a mystery, but he gets it, sure. ]

[kingsroads]

Certainly not,

[ says Jonathan Strange, person who isn't fond of mysteries and wants to explore everything ever. Of course, this does give him a new problem and that problem being that the carnival moves. ]

How long do we stay in places like this anyway?

[atouts]

[ Yes, he thought that might be it. ]

We were in the dream realm for about ten days before moving on, though if that's the average time the carnival stays in one place, I do not yet know for sure.

[kingsroads]

I suppose I'll have to ask others how long we stay, [ said as if it's totally obvious. ]

After all, other people have been here longer than both of us have. Surely they'd know the answer!

[atouts]

[ Sure, Childermass could have asked that himself before now, but he kind of thought he'd have time to figure it out himself before having someone else to look out after (or, more like, he never thought he would have to worry about that in the first place). ]

I'm sure they will. [ Because what else is there to say to that? ] Mr. Joker is sure to know, though anyone who looks to have been where awhile should as well.

[kingsroads]

[ Truly, it's not his fault that Strange is getting a bit antsy. If his first world wasn't a stupid world without any magic and instead having the stupid Matrix with stupid cars, he might be happier staying here for a while.

As it is, fuck cars. ]

Ah, I know that name, [ said with a little nod. ] He's the poor man I accosted for supplies.

[atouts]

[ The Matrix: disapproved of by men from the 1800s. ]

I would not feel too badly for him. It's part of his job to be accosted by wild-haired magicians.

[kingsroads]

Wild-haired? [ Strange can't help but laugh at that. Really, out of all the descriptors Childermass could use, that's the one he settles on? How...endearing, perhaps? He doesn't really know what to make of it. ] Surely it doesn't look that horrible?

[ oh my god it is that horrible. ]

[atouts]

[ They've already covered crazy and mad as ways to describe him, so what's left? Disheveled? Like something the cat's dragged in? Wild-haired fits under both of those, so it's good enough. ]

For someone who likes to run in and out of mirrors, you don't seem to take much time to look into them.

[ Yes, Strange, it's really, really that horrible if even Childermass is commenting on it. ]

[kingsroads]

[ Eventually they'll run out of adjectives. Not for a while, though.

And huh. Strange can't help but frown at that. Because yeah, this is Childermass commenting on his hair. If it was someone else like Drawlight, he'd just ignore it, but Childermass? Point of concern. He's not particularly vain, this is just honestly the first time in months that he's actually thought about his personal appearance. ]

I suppose I should do something about that. [ said with a bit of a siiiiigh as if brushing one's hair was somehow a goddamn chore. ]

[atouts]

[ Look, if he has to do it, so does Strange.

But beyond that, he's going to leave dealing with the rest to the poor, unfortunate souls who work wardrobe. ]

At the very least before you're expected to put on a show.

[kingsroads]

[ Add the people working wardrobe to the inevitable list of "carnival members who Strange has driven to drink." It's going to be a looooong list before that year and a day is up. ]

About that...during the show, must we wear costumes or can we simply wear whatever we please?

[ he is dignified! he served in the peninsula! he will not wear a silly costume unless it looks appropriate swishy and magicianish BUT ONLY THEN ]